Gallery Night - 8/15/2019

I finally made it to my very first Gallery Night in Providence and it didn't disappoint!

Gallery Night has been going strong for over two decades and it is FREE of charge.  A core group of dedicated volunteers manage all the details and each third Thursday of the month (from March through November), its all about the arts in Down City.

You can take one of the trolley tours or stroll around and explore a walking tour. You can also take the bus (with a Gallery Night button). New this year is an accessibility tour that is completely wheelchair accessible.  And, get this:  every gallery and museum in Providence is FREE.

My friend, Lisa, and I jumped on the first trolley tour of the night at 5:30 which offered a look at some of the historical perspectives in Providence. The guided tours include a very knowledgeable guide.  There were about 30 of us in a very comfortable trolley that picked us up at One Regency Plaza (you can park in the lot) and delivered us to Providence City Hall for a peek at work by artists, Carla Ricci and Roberta Kaufman.  Both artists received a special recognition by the city courtesy of Stephanie Fortunato of the Dept. of Arts, Culture, + Tourism on behalf of Mayor Jorge O. Elorza .

   
Next up, we popped into the Rhode Island State Archives for a look-see at their exhibit, Andiamo, celebrating the Italian heritage of our state, including nearby Federal Hill. There was also a copy of the Declaration of Independence - one of only 201 copies made at the time.

  
We popped into BankRI over in the Financial District to check out work done Kyle Balles. He created large and small scale assemblages made from a variety of found objects in Providence. That was a small space so I didn't get any photos but it did take these - it was a stunning night, weather-wise. I love that Superman building!
We ended our tour at RISD Art Museum for a gander at the stunning Gorham Silver exhibit that included a trophy made out of 70,000 melted dimes and a really big spoon.  Lisa's phone takes much better photos then mine does and she caught some exquisite images of several of the pieces.  The exhibit is there until December 1 and as is always the case, access to the museum is FREE on Sundays!
 
Such a great evening out for an explorer like me.  And, I can do it again for the next three months.  So can you.  I'll tell you this much, the more I delve into the arts and culture in this fine state, the more I fall for it.  So much to discover!

Save the date:  September 19 is the next one - hope to see you there!

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